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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'. W. F. WEISGERBER & I. G. HIMMER.

ELECTRIC WINDING DEVICE FOR CLOCKS. No. 350,177. Patented Oct. 5,1886.

WITNESSES INVENTORS Wzls ei'5ei: w a. I

u PETEREuPhoto-Liimgnpher. Wahinglon, nv cv (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. P. WEISGERBER & I. 0-. HIMMER.

ELECTRIC WINDING DEVICE FOR CLOCKS. No. 350,177.

Patented 00t.5,1886.

INVENTORS Wziliamff VVez's WITNESSES ye/2661; Z7261)" Attorneys Ida 65377177267) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM F. XVEISGERBER AND IDA O. HIMMER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGX- OBS, RY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE STANDARD ELEC- 'lltltl (ZLOFK POMIANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IZPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,177, dated October 5, 1886,

Application filed i-\ pril :29, 1884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, XVILLLUL F. \VEIS- GERBER and Inn. U. HIMMER, citizens of the United States, residing in New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric XVinding Devices for Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to certain improve ments in the construction of electric winding mechanism for clocks.

The object of the invention is to provide means for communicating an actuating force to the clock mechanism from an electric battery and to impart the same to the clockmovements through the action of a spring, which is adapted to exert a sutlicient tension upon the same to impel the clock during a short period independently of the electric currents from the battery.

The invention consists in constructing the apparatus substantially in the following manner: The pendulum of the clock is equipped with a cireuitclosing device adapted to complete the circuit-connections of an electric battery through an electro-magnet at predetermined intervals. I The electromagnetthus periodically vitalized is provided with an armature, which, when it is attracted toward the poles of the electromagnet, raises a weighted lever, which is employed for winding the spring whereby the'clocl; is actuated. Upon this lever is carried a pawl, which engages the successive teeth of a ratchet-wheel and advances the same step by step during the successive vibrations of the lever. The coil spring which is employed for communicating the force to the clock niechaiiismsurrounds an arbor, upon which this wheel is mounted, and the two ends of the same are respectively attached to this arbor and to the ratchetwheel. The spring is so organized that a limitednuniber of revolutions otthe wheel may be effected. before it is wound to itslimit, and the amount of energy thus stored up in the spring is sufficient to actuate the clock for a period depend ent upon the train mechanism of the clock. In practice we prefer to actuate the electromagnet once a minute, and to so construct the parts of the clock that one revolution of the arbor of the ratchet-wheel will. d rive the clock Serial No. 128,842. (No model.)

for an hour. Since, therefore, the lever is vibrated once each minute it would be necessary that there should be but sixty teeth upon the wheel for the purpose'of impelling it at L the requisite rapidity for actuating the clock continuously.

\Vhenever the winding device is constructed to actuate the lever once per minute, it is found in practice that a great advantage is gained by constructing the ratchet-wheel with less than sixty teeth, so that each movement of the armature will advance the samea fraction of a revolution more than its arbor is revolved during the next succeeding interval, and the spring will thus eventually be kept constantly wound. By the excess in winding thus obtained any danger of the stopping of the clock which might arise from a temporary failure on the part of the pawl and ratchet to perform their functions is overcome. After the spring has thus been wound to its full extent the drivingpower will be imparted directly to the clock by the weight of the lever. In practice it is found that by constructing the ratchet-wheel with fifty-two teeth it will serve the purpose to the best advantage. The same or similar results may be derived by increasing or by still further diminishing the number of teeth of the ratchet-wheel and increasing or diminishing the frequency of the vibrations of the lever correspondingly.

For the purpose of conveniently giving to the spring the necessary tension when the clock is started. a small red is applied to the actuatinglever, whereby it may be readily actuated in the proper manner to wind the spring. There is also applied to the armature of the electro-magnet a device for transmitting impulses from an independent battery to a series of secondary electric clocks for the purpose of actuating the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel isa front elevation, partly in section, of a clock embodying the features of the invention; and Fig. 2- is a plan view of thesame. Fig. 8 illus trates certain details of construction. El g. i is a section on the line 4. i, Fig. 8.

Referring to these figures, A represents the frame of the clock, and 13 the pendulumrod, which is actuated bv means of an escapement,

O. A circuit-closing device, D, of any suitable form is applied to the pendulum-rod B, and

is preferably organized to close the circuit of a battery, 0, at any predetermined intervalssay once per minute. Included in the circuit thus closed is an electro-magnet, E, which is provided with an armature, F. The armature F is preferably supported from the frame A by means of an adjustable bracket, f, which permits of the movement of the entire arma-' ture toward and away from the poles of the magnet.

Upon the armature F is carried an adjustaple extension or arm, g, which extends above the short arm of alever, H. The arm 9 is preferably rendered adjustable toward and away from the lever H by means of a screw, g, extending through a slot, 9*, in the arm, and it is vertically adjustable by means of the screw 9 extending through the arm and pressing against the surface of the armature. The lever H is supported upon a suitable arbor, h, and carries at the extremity of its longer arm aweight, 7f, which is preferably made rectangular, as shown in the drawings, and when elevated it is stopped by means of a device, h which is technically termed a piano -key look. This device consists of a pivoted bracket constructed with two arms, which extend from each other at an angle, and serve to grasp the extremity of the lever and to prevent it from being elevated too great a distance. For the purpose of rendering its movements noiseless the contact-surfaces of the lock and lever are muffled by means of fibrous material 71 An adjustable limiting-stop, v, is applied to the lever II, and this is preferably provided with a coi'itact-cushion, v, of soft material, for the purpose of rendering the striking of the le ver against the stop noiseless.

Upon a suitable bracket on the lever H is carried a pawl, t, which is pressed against the periphery of a toothed wheel, J, by means of a spring, 43. The movements of the lever in response to the action of the armatureE cause the pawl i to engage the successive teeth upon the ratchet-wheel and to advance the same during the movement of the armature away from the poles of the electro-magnet. A dog, 9', is provided for preventing a retrograde movement of the wheel J. The wheel J is loosely mounted upon an arbor, j'-, and is connected therewith by means of a spring, j, preferably inclosedin a drum, j. One end of this spring is attached to the arbor and the remainu ing end to the ratchet-wheel in such a manner that it will be wound by the movement of the wheel J in response to the action of the pawl The spring is preferablyof such length that it iscapable of permitting several revolutions of the wheel. The tension of the spring when thus wound imparts to the clock mechanism the required force for actuating the same through a toothed wheel, K, which is rigidly mounted upon the arbor f The arbor j" is preferably the arbor upon which the hourhand of the clock is carried, and therefore completes one revolution an hour.

As in the ordinary clocks and distinguished from the going-barrel movement, the spring j runs off from the inside, turning its arbor. In running down, the pin 1; is carried around from the position shown in Fig. 3, making three-quarters of a turn until it strikes the pin 1). From the moment ofits engagement with this pin it carries the arm I? away from its contact with the pin 1), and may carry it a complete turn until it again comes in contact with that pin or on the other side from the position shown in the figure. In winding, if the parts were in the position last named the pin p is carried away from the arm I? and advanced an entire revolution lacking the width of the arm 1?, whereupon it engages that arm on its other side, as shown in Fig. 3. It will then carry the arm P forward with it until the pin 1) engages the pin p but as these were in contact in running down it will take an entire revolution to bring them again in contact. In this manner two entire revolutions of the arbor will be permitted before both ends of the arm P are engaged.

For the purpose of readily giving to the lever H the necessary movements to wind the spring when it is first set up, or when by any chance it has been allowed to run down, a

the brace w of the frame. This rod is of such length that it extends below the frame, so that it may be easily reached. By pushing the rod upward the lever, and the pawl which is carried thereon, may be actuated in precisely the same manner as is accomplished by the electro-magnet, and the spring will then be wound up.

For the purpose of employing the movements of the armature F to transmit impulses at the proper intervals for actuating one or more secondary electric clocks, there is attached to the armature an extension, R, carrying an adjustable contact-arm, S. The arm Sis preferably divided at its extremity, and carries upon each of the two forks thus formed a contact-point, as shown at s and 8". One of these contact-points, 3, extends a greater dis tance from the armature than the remaining one, 8". Above the contact-points s and 8* ex tends a similar contact-arm, T, carrying contact-points t and t, respectively, which constitute the remaining electrode of the circuit of an electric battery, 0, in which are included secondary clocks, as represented at V.

We claim as our invention- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a revolving arbor, a wheel movable upon said arbor, a revolving arm also carried upon said arbor, and two stops respectively carried upon said arbor and wheel for engaging the respective extremities of said arms.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbcfore set forth, with a spring in a clock-winding mechanism, of a weighted lever for com municating energy to said winding mechanism, an electro-magnet and its armature for placing said weighted lever in position to actusmall rod, 10, is supported beneath the lever-in IIO ate said Winding mechanism, means, substantially such as described, for preventing the further winding of said spring when it is under a predetermined tension, and a rod for manuall y actuating said lever.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbel'ore set forth, of a clock mechanism, an electromagnet periodically vitalized through the action of said mechanism, a spring or weight for actuating said mechanism, a lever actuated by said electro-magnet, a ratchet-wheel advanced by the action of said lever, and having a number of teeth, less than the number of times said leveris actuated during a single revolution of the arbor primarily actuated by said wheel, and a rod for manually actuating said lever.

l. The combination, substantially as hereinbel'ore set forth, with a clock-escapement, of a spring for actuating said eseapement, of a ratchet wheel and pawl for winding said spring, a lever carrying said pawl, an electrolnagnet, its armature and armature-lever for actuating said lever, an extension carried upon said armature lcver, an adjustable insulated circuit-closing arm carried upon said exten sion, at coutact-point applied thereto, and an electric circuit having its terminals at said point and circuitelosing arm, respectively.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth with a clock-movement and an electrical winding device applied thereto, consisting of an electrdmagnet and armaturelever, a ratchet-wheel and intermediate mechanism for revolving said ratchet-wheel by the movements of said armature-lever, of a circuitelosing arm carried by said armature-lever, having a forked end, one fork being lower than the other, and two electricallyconnected contact-points respectively applied to these forks.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names this 21st day of April, A. D. 1884.

WILLIAM F. WEISGERBER. IDA C. HIMMER. \Vitnesses:

DANL. \V. EDGECOM'B, CHARLES A. TERRY. 

